Bridging the Gap

May 15-17, 2009
Stony Point Center, Stony Point, NY

This year’s Stony point conference hosted by Partners In Health, as part of the John M. Lloyd AIDS Project, sponsored by the John M. Lloyd Foundation and funds from a grant issued by the Skoll Foundation, is an attempt to convene people who care about the state of health among the world’s poor.  It aims to stop and move beyond divisive discussions that pit AIDS- or disease-specific funding against resources allocated for primary health care and, rather, to bring together advocates for the right to health care and AIDS advocates to craft a joint strategy for activism.  Bridging the Gap aims to renew the inherent, pragmatic synergy between AIDS and Alma-Ata activists—harnessing those linkages to bolster the movement for achieving health for all.


GOAL
To create a global social strategy to advocate for the right to health—preventive and curative care, anchored in and coordinated by the public sector, and delivered to all regardless of ability to pay.

AGENDA

Friday

4:30pm-6:00pm     Cocktail Hour

6:00pm-8:00pm     Dinner

Saturday

8:00am-8:00am     Breakfast

9:00am-9:30am      Introduction and Plan for the Conference

9:30am-12:00pm      GOAL 1
What is the package? What does it cost?

1. Review the Evidence of what would constitute a “right to health care package”
   
1. The basic package of care will be outlined. Though this will vary in different contexts, we will focus on the common elements based on a review of existing documentation:
1. Alma-Ata
2. People’s Health Charter
3. MDGs
4. Government packages (Cuba, UK)
   
   10:30am-11:00am     Break
   
   
2. The cost needed to deliver this care within the public sector will be quantified reviewing the existing costing evidence
1. Human resources
2. Commodities
3. Infrastructure
4. Gap analysis of what is funded

12:00pm-1:00pm     Lunch

1:00pm-6:00pm     GOAL 2
Frame a movement: What is the ask? Who is the constituency?

1. Develop a Social Strategy
1. Who is the constituency—Civil society engagement strategy—affected people (i.e. moms and dads of the 24000 babies that die per day) Solidarity groups—AIDS advocates, NGOs, etc.
1. South
2. North
3. Policy makers
   
   2:30pm-3:00pm     Break
   
   
2.  What is the ask?
1. How much?
2. From where/whom—solidarity money—GFATM, currency transaction tax, UNITAID
   
   4:00pm-4:30pm     Break
   
   
3. Challenges and threats: governments delivering care will be reviewed:
1. Increase fiscal space in the public sector
2. Government Repression
3. Beyond debates and divisiveness

6:00pm-8:00pm                Dinner

Sunday

8:00am -12:00pm      GOAL 3
To whom is this pitched? What is the strategy for pitching it?

1. Change Political will—Who/Where is the target?
   
1. IHP process?
2. G8?
3. Southern governments
4. Global Fund, GAVI etc.

POWERPOINT PRESENTATIONS

• Six slides about ‘fiscal space,’ Gorik Ooms
• The Long and Tortured Road to Adequate and Sustained Donor Financing for Health, Brook K. Baker

BACKGROUND READING

• Bridging the Gap background paper
  
  
• Abuja Declaration on HIV/AIDS Tuberculosis and Other Related Infectious Diseases
• Alma-Ata and Primary Health Care: An Evolving Story
• The Cuenca Declaration
• Declaration of Alma-Ata
• Economics and the Backlash against AIDS-Specific Funding
• From the Global AIDS Response towards Global Health?
  
• A global fund for the health MDGs?
• Global Health Watch 2 Overview
• The long and tortured road to adequate, sustained, and spendable domestic and donor financing for health
• The Mumbai Declaration from the III International Forum for the Defence of the People’s Health
• NGO Code of Conduct for Health Systems Strengthening
• The People's Charter for Health
• The People's Charter on HIV and AIDS
• Recommendations from the Health Workforce Advocacy Initiative
• Scaling up for Better Health: Work Plan for the International Health Partnership and related initiatives (IHP+)
• Sustaining the AIDS Response in a Time of Economic Crisis

LOGISTICS

Address:
Stony Point Center
17 Crickettown Road
Stony Point, NY 10980
Tel: (845) 786-5674
Fax: (845) 786-5919
www.stonypointcenter.org

Transportation:
Upon arrival, a transportation service representative with a sign reading "Stony Point Center" will meet participants at the baggage claim (for domestic travelers), or in the waiting area outside of customs (for international travelers).  Several of you may have to wait for the arrival of other participants before departing the airport.  Stony Point is located about two hours north of all the major airports and train stations in New York City. 

For those participants who will be driving, directions to the Center can be found on their website: http://www.stonypointcenter.org/staticpages/index.php?page=direction

Amenities:
All meals will be provided for conference participants. As the conference is hosted in a retreat center, it is recommended that you bring your own personal toiletries. 

Please contact Lauren Spahn at lspahn@pih.org or (708) 334-6304 with any questions or concerns